Toni Kroos Tops Guardiola’s Transfer List for Upcoming Summer

With Pep Guardiola next in line for the Manchester City managerial job, reports have already linked German international Toni Kroos with a move to The Etihad. Reportedly, Guardiola covets the 26-year-old Real Madrid midfielder as a replacement for Yaya Toure, who could be on his way out of Manchester in the summer. It would be a reunion of sorts, as Guardiola coached Kroos for one season at Bayern Munich.

While at Bayern, Kroos emerged as one of the top young midfielders in the Bundesliga. However, Kroos truly entered the big stage with his spectacular performances at the 2014 World Cup. Kroos finished the tournament as the joint assist leader with four, and played a key role in allowing Germany to lift the trophy. He was instrumental in the historic 7-1 blitzkrieg of Brazil in the semifinals, scoring twice and assisting one another. Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez certainly took notice of these performances and quickly dished out €30 million for his services.

In his two seasons in the Spanish capital, Kroos has already gone through three managers. However, this has had little effect on him, with Kroos accumulating a total of over 80 appearances for the club. And now, under Zinedine Zidane, he is having one of his best seasons to date. He has only scored once, but has recorded eight assists and an impressive 94% pass accuracy.

It’s easy to see why Guardiola would want to bring in Toni Kroos. Kroos is a complete midfielder who is renowned for his passing accuracy. Kroos has been called “The Professor” by Spanish media, while pundits have compared him with Italian legend Andrea Pirlo. He fits the archetype for midfielders who Guardiola has worked with in the past, notably Xavi Hernandez; in fact, it’s likely that Guardiola sees a bit of Xavi in Kroos.

Many feel that Yaya Toure has been past his best years for a while, so Kroos would be a grand addition to Manchester City. He has been instrumental to the attacking prowess of players like Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose, and would no doubt do the same in Manchester. In recent years, the club has been a mainstay in the Premier League title race, and signing a player of Kroos’ caliber would further cement their position.